


Giving up the world

by agentcalliope



Series: Musings of a Muse [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Feels, Hive taunting Jemma, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jemma has a plan, Jemma on fire, Jemma would do anything, Love, Sacrifice, Speculation, Woman on fire, and Hive, and finally makes do on her promise to Ward, and fitz, and the boy, becauses thats what has aired, jemma saves the day, just a lot of feels you guys, up to 3x16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-02 12:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6566068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentcalliope/pseuds/agentcalliope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I see that, yet again, Gideon Malick was wrong.” The voice menacingly slithers out of her dead foe’s mouth, and it takes every ounce of her strength to remain standing tall.</p><p> </p><p>She will not be little, poor, helpless Agent Simmons any longer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Decision

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AGL03](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGL03/gifts), [lapiccolina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lapiccolina/gifts).



> another take on AGL03's theory about Hive taunting Jemma, and using Fitz in order for her to do something he wants.  
> HOPE THIS DESTROYS YOU LIKE IT DESTROYED ME.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma makes a decision.
> 
>  
> 
> She barely hesitates.

* * *

“I see that, yet again, Gideon Malick was wrong.” The voice menacingly slithers out of her dead foe’s mouth, and it takes every ounce of her strength to remain standing tall.

 

She will not be little, poor, helpless Agent Simmons any longer.

 

“Wrong about what?” She poses it as a question but it is anything but- she makes sure that the _parasite_ inside Grant Ward’s body recognizes the spite and the defiance behind her masked words.

She makes sure that he knows that she is not the same woman from his memories, but a woman changed, different, and poised for the kill.  

 

She is Jemma Simmons, after all. And Jemma Simmons has _always_ excelled at preparation.

 

She clutches the Orb tighter, heart beating faster and her determination growing- she will not let this creature goad her.

 

A cacophonous laugh pierces the air, and she wants nothing more than to rip that smug, crooked smile off his face that she doesn’t even wonder why this monster is laughing in the first place.

 

Until she hears the creak of the door, and with one glance her strength is leeched out from her.

 

Fitz doesn’t look up, his head bowed and dangling as he limps from his entrance behind Hive. His clothes are ripped and bloody, and she can’t believe by the way her heart thuds in her chest that no one can hear it.

He stumbles, and with his hands tied behind his back he is unable to catch himself before the men at his side pull him up callously and he grunts with exertion and pain. He’s still watching the ground when they reach Hive, and keeps his gaze firmly down when the men push him down to his knees before they walk back towards the door.

 

Jemma feels her blood run cold, and she silently prays for him to look at her- although she’s also afraid of what she might see.

 

Their psychic link, battered and trampled throughout the years, is still effective and Fitz finally lifts his head and she glimpses his face.

 

She is unable to catch the mangled, distressed gasp that comes out of her throat.

 

Dark, purple bruises splatter his face, his swollen nose telling her medically trained eyes that it’s broken and his eyes-

His eyes shine with tears and with _love_ and she feels as if they have ignited a flame and she is suddenly on fire.

 

She tears her gaze away from Fitz, rage and bile and agony rising from the pit of her stomach and burning her alive.

She doesn’t say a word.

 

Hive tilts his head.

“You wanted to know why Malick was wrong, didn’t you? Well, he was wrong when he had the wrong person tortured.”

 

The memories begin to swirl inside her mind, but the low, inhuman guttural sound that emerges from Fitz erases them swiftly.

 

She has to force herself not to look at him for fear of breaking.

 

“You see, Jemma Simmons, you have something I want.” He gestures to the Orb with a flick of his hand, his emotionless eyes never leaving hers.

“And you _-_ you _yourself_ are very integral to my plans, Jemma Simmons, and Malick made the mistake of using you to send Fitz instead.”

Hive casts a disgusted look at Fitz, his features contorted and ugly before glancing back at her.

 

“So, I have devised a little deal. You hand the Orb, and yourself, over to me without struggle, and I let him live.”

Fitz makes a strangling sound, his eyes wide with fear and shaking his head and she knows that he’s trying to tell her not to do it.

_Don’t do it Jemma don’t do it._

Her present inner Fitz’s voice merges with another.

_Don’t do it don’t do it Ward okay you don’t have to do this you don’t have to you have a choice Ward look at me I know you care about us Ward._

 

She has to do it.

She will not let Fitz die so that she could _live_.

(she wouldn’t be able to without him, anyway)

 

Hive suddenly kicks Fitz and he falls on his side, groaning and coughing and she feels herself finally break.

 

“Shut up, boy- I always knew Jemma would give up the world for you, looks like now she has her chance.”

 

She recalls a slight variation of those words coming out from the same mouth just months ago, but the sense still stands true-

He’s right.

 

Fitz would give up the world for Jemma.

Fitz _did_ give up the world for Jemma.

 

And Jemma would give up the world for Fitz.

Jemma _is_ giving up the world for Fitz.

 

And her voice rings firm when she accepts Hive’s deal.

“Okay.”


	2. Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma has made a deal.
> 
> But it doesn't mean she doesn't have a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for lapiccolina, who hounded (encouraged) me to at least have Jemma kick Hive's butt for once in my writings. I didnt have the heart to tell her I never wrote it before because I had NO IDEA HOW TO EVEN DO IT, so here we are.

* * *

“Deal.”

 

She makes a deal with the devil, both figuratively and literally.

 

But as she speaks this one word to Hive, he thinks she’s accepting his deal when she’s agreeing to an entirely different one.

 

It’s the unspoken deal that clings to the air, its grasping claws digging into her skin, dragging her down into the ground.

 

Her heart beats in her chest.

 

She says “deal” to save Fitz’s life, but she means “deal” to save her own-

 

She cannot live without Fitz.

 

And she cannot not be responsible for any more lives lost.

 

Unless it’s Hive’s.

 

Fitz groans again on the ground when she agrees, and she mentally tries to reach him to tell him that it’s okay.

It’s all going to be all right, because Jemma has made a deal with herself and a promise and has made a deal with Hive and a promise-

 

She had made him a promise once.

And even though this creature is not technically Ward, but just a parasite in his body, the promise still stands-

 

She’s going to kill him.

 

And this time, she won’t miss.

 

Before Hive can utter another word from his stolen mouth Jemma taps the Orb with her thumb, and as it begins to glow and hum she hurls it with all her strength straight at the creature.

 

The Orb logically cannot be tearing through the air as slowly as it seems to be, and time can’t be slowed down- but time stops as Jemma watches as it fly, transforming into a beam of light. She knows that she must look away when it hits Hive-

 

She looks at Fitz, and he looks at her.

 

And she knows that if there were ever a time for their psychic link to work, it had to be now.

 

For once, the cards are in their favor and he scrambles away as she covers her eyes with her hands and falls to the floor.

 

There are screams, as the pulse rings out and the light flashes. One scream rises above the others-its tone low and feral, the agony and anger of being so close to victory embedded within its core.

 

Then suddenly, it’s quiet.

Jemma opens her eyes, and feels faint with relief.

Hive, and his Hydra goons are gone.

 

But she doesn’t have time to savor this triumph before she finds herself lifting herself off the floor and running to Fitz, who is still curled up into a ball and his eyes squeezed shut.

 

“Fitz Fitz Fitz Fitz.”

 

He groans a bit but doesn’t move nor open his eyes when she reaches him, kneeling at his side. She pulls into her boot for her shiv, and she tears at his binds on his wrists.

 

“Fitz it’s okay its over you can open your eyes now it’s okay.”

 

He listens to her, her Fitz- his face is bloody and his wrists are rubbed raw and there must be tens of bruises on his body but he still hears her voice and comes back to her.

 

He always comes back to her.

 

“Jemma.” His voice is lined with emotion and rawness, raspy and coarse but she has never heard anything so sweet and divine in her entire life.

 

She doesn’t hesitate:

“I love you.”

 

And this time, she means what she says.


	3. Reasoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma waits for the team to arrive and she knows that she should really get up and find them herself because he's still hurt and battered and bruised-
> 
> but she can't stop looking at his face.

* * *

“I love you.”

She means what she says, and she says what she means.

 

Her words catch in her throat but she says them again.

“I love you.”

 

They’re still lying on the floor, her hugging him to her chest and waiting for the team and she knows that she should get up and find them herself, but she can’t stop looking at his face.

 

He’s closed his eyes again, and he’s inhaling heavily and his skin is blotchy with bruises that make her want to sob and scream in fury in the same breath- but he’s _alive,_ and that’s all that matters.

 

That’s all that matters.

 

He stirs a bit, and his eyelids flutter when she places her palm against his cheek and whispers what she’s repeated over and over again:

“I love you.”

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

She thinks that its not enough, and there’s no way that these three little words can ever encompass how she feels about Fitz but she’s damn sure going to try.

 

If she’ll have to repeat these words over and over for the rest of her life to make him listen and understand, then there’s no question.

 

“Jemma,” Fitz croaks, and his blue eyes engulf her senses and she has to hold back the ocean of tears threatening to overflow.

 

Jemma sniffles and nods, trying not to let her voice crack when she responds.

“Yeah, Fitz?”

 

Fitz reaches up, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear and the gesture that reminds her so much of another time when they were bruised and bloodied and tortured is enough to break her heart again.

 

But she knows that she can live with a broken heart, as long as he’s around to make it whole again.

 

“That was… stupid.”

 

Jemma can’t help but laugh, because his words somehow match her thoughts but at the same time don’t match them at all.

"He had you and he was going to hurt you more than he already did and I couldn't let that happen I just couldn’t Fitz I couldn’t," she rambles, wondering what words could possibly explain why all her logic and rationale left when he had been brought into the room, battered and beaten.

 

It suddenly clicks, and this time she doesn’t ramble but speaks firmly with every fiber of her being.

“What can I say? I’m just a lovesick fool who made a grand gesture.”

 

He’s laughing and wincing and she’s laughing and crying and that’s how the team finds them- Jemma holding Fitz in her arms as they lay on the floor, bloody and bruised but laughing and looking into each other’s eyes like nothing else in the world matters.

 

Because nothing else in the world matters for a lovesick fool who made a grand gesture for another lovesick fool who made a grand gesture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to welldonefitz for betaing YOU ROCK MAN


End file.
